Saxifraga plant named ‘SAXZ0015’

ABSTRACT

A new  Saxifraga  plant named ‘SAXZ0015’ particularly distinguished by its red colored flowers that turn to white when flowers age in wintertime with a mounding and tight, well branched plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Saxifraga×arendsii.

Varietal denomination: ‘SAXZ0015’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Saxifraga, botanically known as Saxifraga×arendsii, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘SAXZ0015’.

‘SAXZ0015’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar ‘SAXZ0015’ has almost red colored flowers that turn to white in winter time when flower ages, with green leaves on a mounding, tight and well branched plant habit.

‘SAXZ0015’ originates from a hybridization made in a greenhouse in April 2010 in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary plant identified as ‘M1210-51’ with smaller, darker red color and is later to flower when compared to ‘SAXZ0015’.

The male parent of ‘SAXZ0015’ is a proprietary plant identified as ‘N0831-51’, application name for plant patent ‘SAXZ0016’ (co-pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/330,066), with bigger flowers and deep rose flower color and is earlier to mature and flower when compared to ‘SAXZ0015’. The resultant seed was sown in August 2010 in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

‘SAXZ0015’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in March 2011 in a greenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘SAXZ0015’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in March 2011 in a greenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in June 2011 in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘SAXZ0015’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘SAXZ0015’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for in the European Union on Nov. 9, 2015, No. 2015/2579. ‘SAXZ0015’ has not been made publicly available prior to the effective filing date of this application, notwithstanding any disclosure that may have been made less than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application by the inventor or another who obtained ‘SAXZ0015’ directly from the inventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Saxifraga as a new and distinct variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘SAXZ0015’ with colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type.

The photographic drawings show in FIG. 1 a flowering plant of the new variety and in FIG. 2 a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands under natural light in March 2015. These plants were approximately 36 weeks old and were growing in 11 cm pots in poly covered tunnels. The plants used for the photographs were about 36 weeks old growing in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands and the photographs were taken in March 2015.

Color chart used: Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2001

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘SAXZ0015’ AND A SIMILAR VARIETY ‘SAXZ0010’, U.S. Plant ‘SAXZ0015’ Pat. No. 24,338 Flower color: Flowers turn from red to Solid picotee, white in the white during ageing in centre and red on the edge winter time Leaf shape: Strong laciniate Cunneate Flower shape: More flat More outward curving

-   Plant:     -   -   Form, growth and habit.—A rosetting habit that is compact             and mounded. Each rosette develops several short branched             peduncles that are freely flowering.         -   Plant height.—5-7 cm.         -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—11-13 cm.         -   Plant width.—25-28 cm. -   Roots:     -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—About 7 days at 18 degrees             C.         -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—3 weeks at 18             degrees C.         -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, very well branched.         -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rosulate, alternate.         -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 141B.         -   Immature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 143C.         -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 141B.         -   Mature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 143C.         -   Length.—1.0-3.0 cm.         -   Width.—0.7-2.0 cm.         -   Shape.—Cunneate; 3 to 5 cleft-lobed.         -   Base shape.—Attenuate, sessile.         -   Apex shape.—Tridentate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous with few short hairs.         -   Lower surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color of veins, upper surface.—Indistinct.         -   Color of veins, lower surface.—Indistinct.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 142A.         -   Length.—0.5-0.7 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Texture.—Puberulous. -   Lateral branching:     -   -   Color.—RHS 143B to RHS 141B.         -   Length of branch.—5.0-7.0 cm.         -   Diameter of branch.—0.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 142B.         -   Length of peduncle.—6.0-9.0 cm.         -   Peduncle diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Texture.—Glandular and puberulous.         -   Pedicel color.—Near to RHS 146A/B.         -   Pedicel length.—0.4-0.7 cm.         -   Pedicel diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Pedicel texture.—Glandular, puberulous (many short hairs). -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Simple cyme or raceme, each inflorescence consists of             15-20 single flowers; single flower composed of 5 imbricate             petals; flowers held above the plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—100-130 with numerous             buds.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 11             days.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Bud (just before opening/showing color):     -   -   Color.—RHS 60A.         -   Length.—1.2 cm.         -   Width.—0.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Conical, penta-shape. -   Corolla: -   Immature inflorescence:     -   -   Diameter.—1.5 cm.         -   Color of petals, upper surface.—Nearest to RHS 63C.         -   Color of petals, lower surface.—Nearest to RHS 63C. -   Mature inflorescence:     -   -   Flower diameter.—2.7-3.0 cm.         -   Depth.—1.0 cm.         -   Petal color, upper surface.—Nearest to RHS 64B.         -   Petal color, lower surface.—RHS 63C to RHS 64B.         -   Veins color, upper surface.—Darker than RHS 64B.         -   Veins color, lower surface.—Darker than RHS 64B.         -   Length of petal.—1.4 cm.         -   Width of petal.—1.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Orbicular, round to obovate.         -   Apex shape.—Ovate to obovate, rounded.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Venation pattern.—Bowed, parallel.         -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.         -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Glabrous. -   Calyx:     -   -   Quantity.—5.         -   Color, upper surface.—RHS 137A.         -   Color, lower surface.—RHS 147A.         -   Length.—0.4-0.5 cm.         -   Width.—0.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Hastate, subulate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute, subulate.         -   Base.—Fused, deltoid.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper/inner surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower/outer surface.—Glandulare, puberulous. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—         -   Pistil quantity.—2.         -   Pistil shape.—Each style has a threadlike pistil shape.         -   Length.—0.4 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS 143B.         -   Style length.—0.3 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 59B.         -   Stigma shape.—Spatulate.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 152C.         -   Ovary height.—0.7 cm.         -   Ovary width.—0.3 cm.         -   Androecium.—         -   Stamens, quantity.—10.         -   Stamens, shape.—Threadlike.         -   Color of filaments.—RHS 143C.         -   Length filaments.—1.0 cm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 22C, mottled with anthocyanins of about             RHS N34C.         -   Anther length.—0.2 cm.         -   Anther shape.—Oval.         -   Color of pollen.—RHS 14A.         -   Pollen amount.—Moderate.         -   Fertility/seed set.—Neither seed nor fruit production has             been observed to date.         -   Disease/pest resistance.—Resistance to pathogens and pests             common to Saxifraga has not been observed.         -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance.—Hardy perennial.             Tolerates high temperature to at least 30 degrees C.             Tolerates low temperatures to minus 15 degrees C. No             specific drought tolerance has not been observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Saxifraga plant named ‘SAXZ0015’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 